Elevator-dispatching system



C. E. ELLIS, JR

ELEVATOR DISPATCHING SYSTEM Feb. 27, 1934.

Filed March 20, 1930 FML FWL FML INVENTQ'R Char/es E E///; Jr

N\ Q\ N. 1U Lu PR 1 Lu b Q m an R. \h Q s a s a M J M ii F d Ti ii CC rd rim r Q j (1 EM M E 3% a NW w MK ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 1,948,748 ELEVATOR-DISPATCHING SYSTEM of Illinois Application March 20, 1930.

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to elevator-dispatching systems for automatically giving signals for starting the cars at regular intervals and it relates more particularly to means for automatically adjusting the timing devices that are employed in the dispatching systems for determining the length of the intervals between successive starting signals.

In the operation of elevator systems which are provided with means for dispatching the cars from the terminals at regular intervals so that they will run on a regular predetermined schedule, the cars will often run ahead of the schedule set up for them and collect at the dispatching terminals to await the starting signals. Obviously, when several of the cars collect and stand at a terminal floor, the other floors are deprived of the elevator service which they should receive.

Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide for automatically speeding up the operation of the dispatching system, when the cars collect at a dispatching terminal, so that the dispatching signals will be given at more frequent intervals and thereby clear the cars from the terminals and more evenly distribute them in the elevator system.

Other objects of my invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of my improved means for automatically adjusting the speed of the timing device of an elevator-dispatching system to prevent a large number of cars from collecting and standing at the dispatching terminals; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a modification of the automatic adjusting means included in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated in Fig. 1 a timing motor 1 for driving the signal-giving apparatus of a dispatcher for an elevator system embodying four cars A, B, C and D. Although any suitable dispatcher for giving the starting signals may be employed, such, for instance, as the dispatching device illustrated and described in the copending application of Harry R. Norton, Serial No. 55,254, filed September 9, 1925, and assigned to Norton-Blair- Douglass, Inc., I have illustrated a dispatcher including a revolving brush arm 24 driven by a shaft 25 operated by the motor 1. The brush arm is insulated from the shaft 25 and is disposed to constantly engage a circular contact strip 28 Serial No. 437,393

which is electrically connected to a supply conductor L1.

Around the contact strip 28 are disposed, at equal distances apart in the plane of the face of the contact strip, four contact members a, b, c and (1, one for each of the four cars. The contact members are electrically connected, respectively, to four starting signal lamps A, B, C and D (one for each car) which are electrically connected to supply conductor L2. As the brush arm is revolved by the shaft, it consecutively connects the contact members to the contact strip, thereby consecutively lighting the signal lamps to give starting signals to the cars.

The timing motor 1 comprises an armature 2 and a shunt field winding 3 that may be connected to a suitable source of electric energy, as represented by a pair of supply conductors L1 and L2. A rheostat 4 is included in the circuit of the armature 2 for controlling the speed of the timing motor 1.

The rheostat 4 is provided with a contact member 5 that may be manually adjusted to cause the timing motor to run at a predetermined speed and thereby effect the giving of the starting signals at regular, predetermined intervals. The giving of the starting signals at predetermined intervals provides a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars A, B, C and D.

Theoretically, the cars will be equally distributed among the floors they serve while they are operating under a predetermined schedule. In practice, however, it has been found that the cars will frequently run to the terminal floors ahead of their predetermined schedule. Inasmuch as the cars cannot leave the terminal or dispatching floors until they receive their starting signals, they will naturally collect and stand at the terminal floors when they run ahead of their schedules and thus fail to give the equally distributed service that is intended.

In accordance with my invention, I utilize the collecting of the cars at the dispatching terminals for effecting an automatic adjustment 'of the speed of the timing motor in such manner that the motor will run at a high rate of speed when the cars collect at the dispatching floor and thus cause the starting signals to be given at such frequent intervals that the collected cars will be cleared from the dispatching terminals and be distributed throughout the elevator system.

In order that the collecting of the cars may be utilized to automatically speed up the timing motor, each car is provided with a contact device that is operated in accordance with the movements of the car. Any suitable contact device may be employed, such as that described in the patent to Smalley et al, No. 634,220.

The contact device for car A comprises a continuous contact strip 6, the length of which is representative of the distance between the upper and the lower terminal floors. Adjacent to the lower end of the contact strip 6 is a short contact segment 7, and adjacent to its upper end is a contact segment 8. The relative positioning of the contact segements 7 and 8 with respect to the contact strip 6 is such that a movable contact-bridging member 9, operable over the contact strip 6 as the car moves from the lower terminal to the upper terminal, will bridge the contact strip 6 and the contact segment 7 when the car is at the first floor and the contact strip 6 and the segment 8 when the car is at the top floor. The contact strip 6 is electrically connected to the supply conductor L2. The contact devices for the cars B, C and D are similar to that just described for car A.

As shown, the lower contact segment '7 for car A and the lower contact segments 10, 11 and 12 for the cars B, C and D are connected in circuits to energize a plurality of control relays 13, 14, 15 and 16 when the cars arrive at the lower terminal. Similarly, the upper contact segments 8, 1'7, 18 and 19 are connected in circuits to energize a plurality of control relays 20, 21, 22 and 23 when the cars arrive at the upper terminal.

The relays 13, 14, 15 and 16 are provided with contact members for controlling the energization of a high-speed relay 26, which, when sufficiently energized, will short circuit the rheostat 4 in the circuit of the armature 2 and cause the timing motor to run at high speed when the cars collect at the lower terminal. Similarly, the relays 20, 21, 22 and 23 are provided for energizing a highspeed relay 27 that, when sufficiently energized, will also short circuit the rheostat 4 and thereby cause the timing motor torun at high speed when several cars collect at the upper terminal.

Obviously, in an installation where it is desirable to use only one voltage, the lower contact members '7, 10, 11 and 12 and the upper contact members 3, 1'7, 18 and 19 may be connected directly in circuit with the coils of the high-speed relays 26 and 27 without employing relays 13 to 16 and 20 to 23. The arrangement illustrated, however, is considered preferable.

In practicing my invention, I do not desire the arrival of one car at a terminal to cause the timing motor to increase its speed. Therefore, I have placed a plurality of resistors 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 in the parallel circuits from the contact members of the control relays to the high-speed relays 26 and 27 to prevent such an action.

The coil of the high-speed relay 26 and the resistors 30, 31, 32 and 33 are so selected as to value that a predetermined number of cars must collectlat the lower terminal and energize the control relays therefor before suificient current will flow through the resistors to actuate the high-speed relay 26 and cause it to short circuit the rheostat 4 for the purpose of speeding up the timing motor 1.

Similarly, the coil of the high-speed relay 2'7 and the resistors 34, 35, 36 and 37 are so selected, as to value, that a predetermined number of cars must collect at the upper terminal landing, and energize the control relays therefor before sumcient current will flow to actuate the relay 2? and cause it to short circuit the rheostat 4 for the purpose of speeding up the timing motor 1.

Further, in many installations, I do not desire to have the speed of the timing motor automatically increased on the instant that several cars collect at a dispatching terminal, as, for instance, when one or two cars arrive just as another car departs. Therefore, I have provided a time-delay for the relays 26 and 27, which may comprise a dash pct 40 for the high-speed relay 26 and a dash pot 41 for the high-speed relay 2'? to delay the operation of these relays for a predetermined time after they are operatively energized. The dash pots 40 and 41 may be provided, respectively, with by-pass valves 42 and 43 to permit the relays to open their contact members quickly when deenergized.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming that car A arrives at the lower terminal or dispatching floor, the bridging member 9 electrically connects contact strip 6 and the contact segment 7 to complete a circuit for energizing the relay 13; which circuit extends from supply conductor L1, through conductors 56 and 57, the coil of relay l3, conductor 58, contact segment 7, bridging member 9, contact strip 6 and conductor 59, to supply conductor L2.

The closing of the contact members of the energized relay 13 completes a circuit that partially energizes the high-speed relay 26, which circuit extends from a low-voltage supply conductor L3, conductor 60, the contact members of relay 13, conductor 61, resistor 30, conductors 62 and 73, the coil of relay 26 and conductor 63, to a low-voltage supply conductor L4. However, the resistor 30 will provide sufficient resistance in the circuit described to prevent the relay 26 from being operatively energized to close its normally open contact members for short circuiting the rheostat 4 in the armature circuit of the timing motor.

Assuming now that the car B arrives at the lower terminal immediately after car A, the bridging member 66 will engage the contact segment l0, and the control relay 14 will be energized by way of a circuit extending from the supply conductor L1, through conductors 56 and 64, the coil of relay 14, conductor 65, contact segment 10, bridging member 66, contact strip 67 and conductor 68, to supply conductor L2.

The closing of the contact members on the relay l4 completes a circuit partially energizing the relay 26, which circuit extends from the supply conductor L3, through conductors 60 and 70, the contact members of relay 14, conductor 71, resistor 31, conductors 72 and 73, the coil of relay 26 and conductor 63, to supply conductor L4. However, the resistor 31 will provide sufficient resistance to prevent current from flowing in the circuit just described, (even though it is added to that through the resistor 30) to operate the relay 26.

Assuming, further, that the car C arrives at the lower terminal immediately after car B, the bridging member 74 will engage the contact segment 11 and complete a circuit tending to energize the control relay 15, which circuit extends from the supply conductor L1, through conductors 56 and 75, the coil of relay 15, conductor 76, contact segment 11, bridging member 74, contact strip '77 and conductor 78, to supply conductor L2.

While the resistor 32 prevents suflicient current from flowing through the circuit completed by the arrival of car 0 at the lower terminal to operatively energize the coil of the relay 26,

it will he recalled that energized parallel circuits for the. relay also exists through the resistors and 31. Therefore, the combined current flowing through the resistors 30, 31 and 32 will be sufficient to operatively energize the coil of the relay 26 and close its contact members.

However, the contactsof relay 26' will not be timed for a predetermined period after the relay is operatively energized, by reasonv of the delay mm; i arrested by the dash pct 40.

AS the dash pot opens, the contact members of the relay 26 close and short circuit the rheostat 4 in, the circuit of the armature 2, thereby causing the timing motor to speed up and efiect the givinfi Oi the starting signals at more frequent intervals. The speeding up of the starting signals causes. the cars A, B, C and D to be cleared more rapidly from the lower terminal and thereby set them free to operate in a more evenly distributed manner.

Obviously, when the cars, are cleared from the dispatching floor, the control relays and the speed relays will be deenergized, and the timing motor will return to its normal predetermined speed.

While the supply conductors L1 and L: are shown as representing the usual 1l0-volt circuit and the supply conductors L3 and L4 as representing the usual low-voltage circuit of 10 volts commonly employed in elevator systems, the apparatus may be designed for, and may utilize any desired supply voltage.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2, the high-speed relays 26 and 27 are not provided with dash pots for delaying their operaj tion for a predetermined time after they are operatively energized. Instead of adding dash pots to the speed relays, a plurality of carbon resistors 45, 46, 4'7, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52 are substituted for the resistors 30 to 37, inclusive, illustrated in Fig. 1, in order to accomplish the same result.

The carbon resistors should be so selected as to size and value that they will not, when cold, permit the passage of sufiicient current to actuate the high-speed relays. However, if current continues to pass through say three of the carbon resistors, corresponding to either the upper terminal or the lower terminal, the resistors will become heated to a degree to permit the passage of suflicient current to actuate the corresponding high-speed relay.

The delay caused by the characteristics of the carbon resistors is utilized to prevent the actuation of the high-speed relays for a predetermined time after the cars begin to collect at one of the dispatching terminals. Thus, if three cars collect and stand at a terminal for one or two seconds, as will happen at times, the automatic adjusting means will not increase the speed of the timing motor until a predetermined time thereafter. However, as the three cars arrive at the terminal, the control relays corresponding thereto are actuated to close the circuits for energizing the corresponding speed relay. As current starts to flow through the circuits for energizing the speed relay, the high resistance of the cold carbon resistors prevents the high speed relay from being operatively energized immediately. However, if the three cars continue to stand at the terminal floor, the carbon resistors will become heated by the continued passage of current therethrough and will then pass sufficient current to energize and actuate the high-speed relay, thereby effecting an increase in the speed of the timing motor and causing the cars to be dispatched from the terminal at a rapid rate until they are prop- Various modifications and changes may be made in the system illustrated herein as embodying my invention without departing from the scope thereof, and all such modifications and changes, are intended to be covered by the appended. claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an elevator dispatcher for giving signals for starting cars from a dispatching floor, a timing device, means for adjusting the timing device to eiTect the giving of the starting signals at predetermined intervals to provide a predetermined schedule for the cars, and means operably responsive to the presence of a predetermined number of cars at the dispatching floor for increasing the speed of the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule.

2. In an elevator dispatcher for giving signals for starting cars from a dispatching fioor, a timing device, means for adjusting the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at predetermined intervals to provide a predetermined schedule for the cars, and means operably responsive to the presence of a predetermined number of cars for a predetermined period at said dispatching fioor for increasing the speed of the timing device to efiect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule.

I 3. In a dispatcher for giving signals to start cars from a dispatching fioor, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at intervals to provide a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, means :for automatically increasing the speed of said timing device, a switch for each car disposed to be operated by the standing of that car at the dispatching floor, circuits connected to said switches and responsive to actuation thereof for actuating said speed increasing means when the cars stand at the dispatching floor to cause the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule, and resistors disposed in said circuits for delaying the actuation of said speed increasing means until a predetermined number of said cars are at said dispatching floor.

4. In a dispatcher for giving signals to start cars from a dispatching floor, a timing device for efiecting the giving of the starting signals at intervals to provide a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, means for automatically increasing the speed of said timing device, a switch for each car disposed to be operated by the standing of that car at the dispatching floor, circuits connected to said switches for actuating said speed increasing means when the cars stand at the dispatching floor to cause the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under thepredetermined schedule, and resistors disposed in said circuits, said resistors having such characteristics as will delay the actuation of said speed increasing means until a predetermined number of said cars have stood for a predetermined length of time at said dispatching floor.

5. In a dispatcher for giving signals to start cars from a dispatching floor, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at intervals to provide a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, means for automatically increasing the speed of said timing device, a switch for each car disposed to be operated by the standing of that car at the dispatching floor, circuits connected to said switches for operatively energizing said speed increasing means when a predetermined number of the cars stand at the dispatching floor to cause the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule, and means for delaying the operation of said speed increasing means for a predetermined time aiter it has been operatively energized.

6. In a dispatcher for giving signals to start cars from a dispatching floor, a timing device for effecting the giving of the starting signals at intervals to provide a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, means for automatically increasing the speed of said timing device, a switch for each car disposed to be operated by the standing of that car at the dispatching floor, circuits connected to said switches for operatively energizing said speed increasing means when a predetermined number of the cars stand at the dispatching floor to cause the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule, and resistors disposed in said circuits for delaying operative energization of said speed increasing means until a predetermined number of the cars are at said dispatching floor, and means for delaying actuation of said increasing means for a predetermined time after it has been operatively energized.

7. In a dispatcher for giving signals to start cars from a dispatching floor, a timing device, means for adjusting the timing device to effect the giving of the starting signals at intervals to provide a predetermined schedule of operation for the cars, electrically operated means for increasing the speed of the timing device, a switch for each car disposed to be operated by the standing of that car at the dispatching floor, circuits connected to said switches and responsive to actuation of a predetermined number thereof for energizing the electrically operated means to effect the giving of the starting signals at more frequent intervals than under the predetermined schedule.

CHARLES E. ELLIS, JR. 

